<,/  far*  ^ ''**  *. 

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GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


A DREAM. 


BY 


WILLIAM  DENTON, 

Author  or  “ Our  Planet,”  “ The  Soul  or  Things,"  “ Is  Dabwii> 
Right?”  etc. 


GARRISON 


IN  HEAVEN. 


A DREAM. 


BY 

WILLIAM  DENTON, 

Author  of  “ Our  Planet,”  “ The  Soul  of  Things,”  “ Is  Darwin 
Right?”  etc. 


MRS.  E.  M.  P.  DENTON,  PUBLISHER, 


tsrratt 

Illicit 


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1 519  60  B/J\ &/jyQ  AUG  1 7 1927 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 

A DREAM. 


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D 


There  are  few  persons  in  the  United  States  who  have 
not  heard  of  freedom’s  champion,  William  Lloyd  Garri- 
son. The  slaveholder  heard  of  him,  and  trembled  with 
rage  as  he  cursed  him  ; while  the  negro  waiter  behind  his 
chair  secretly  blessed  him.  Every  orthodox  minister  in 
the  land  knew  of  him,  and  nearly  all  of  them  banned  him  ; 
for,  said  they,  “ He  disturbs  the  church  ; ” while  the  poli- 
ticians with  loud  oaths  denounced  him  as  a disturber  of 
the  State.  Whatever  disturbed  humanity,  Garrison 
wished  to  disturb  ; and  whatever  he  believed  would  assist 
humanity  he  was  ready  to  help.  The  God,  the  Bible,  and 
the  Constitution  that  upheld  slavery,  were  idols  to  him 
which  it  was  the  duty  of  a true  man  to  dethrone,  though 
all  Christendom  was  on  its  knees  before  them.  Claimed 
now  by  Christians  as  a true  believer,  because  they  think 
his  life  will  add  lustre  to  their  waning  cause,  he  had  as 
little  faith  in  the  divinity  of  the  Bible  as  had  Thomas 
Paine : yet  the  man  probably  never  lived  who  was  more 
thoroughly  and  practically  religious  ; and,  compared  with 
him,  Jesus  the  Jewish  reformer  was  narrow  and  selfish. 

Jesus  was  a Jew ; and  a Jew  to  him  was  a God’s  favor- 
ite, to  be  specially  cared  for.  “ Go  not  into  the  way 
of  the  Gentiles,”  is  his  command  when  he  sends  out  his 


6 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


disciples  to  preach.  Even  the  Samaritans  were  apparently 
too  heretical  to  be  the  objects  of  his  bounty ; and  he  says, 
“Into  any  city  of  the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not.”  Garri- 
son’s benevolence  knew  no  boundaries : color  and  creed 
were  alike  unnoticed  by  him  when  he  saw  the  man  in 
bonds  behind  them.  Jesus  was  continually  anxious  that 
people  should  believe  on  him.  In  substance  this  is  the 
burden  of  his  cry,  “Heaven  is  his  who  believes  on  me; 
and  hell  is  for  him  who  rejects  me.”  Garrison  seemed 
to  lose  all  sense  of  himself  in  his  zeal  for  the  bondman. 
“ Think  what  you  please  of  me,  but  let  the  slave  go  free.” 
This  represents  the  spirit  of  his  whole  public  life.  Jesus 
found  slavery  in  Judaea,  and,  as  far  as  we  can  tell,  never 
said  a word  directly  in  opposition  to  it : Garrison  never 
felt  free  while  a slave  was  bound,  and  gave  his  life  for 
iheir  welfare.  He  was  as  much  higher  than  Jesus  as  the 
steeples  are  higher  than  the  churches.  New  England,  to 
the  slave,  had  a better  climate  than  Florida,  because  his 
home  was  in  it ; and  Boston  is  sacred  forever,  because 
here  he  lived  and  worked.  With  his  earthly  career  all 
are  familiar : it  is  of  his  career  since  he  left  the  earth 
that  I wish  more  particularly  to  treat. 

I am  a great  dreamer.  I cannot  sleep,  even  for  a 
moment,  without  dreaming  ; and,  although  my  dreams  are 
generally  composed  of  incongruous  and  unmeaning  stuff, 
some  of  them  are,  I think,  worthy  of  notice.  Of  this 
character  is  the  one  I am  going  to  tell  you. 

In  my  dream  I stood  by  the  bedside  of  the  dying  Gar- 
lison,  and  watched  his  spirit  as  it  ebbed  and  flowed,  like 
the  pulsing  tide,  in  its  efforts  to  free  itself  from  the  no 
longer  needed  body ; and  saw  the  smile  of  satisfaction, 
alternating  with  a look  of  regret,  as  he  felt  the  freedom 
of  his  new  existence,  and  saw  the  sorrow  of  the  survivors 


A DREAM.  7 

Many  were  the  objects  of  interest  that  detained  him  \l. 
Boston,  and  near  his  dearest  friends.  He  attended  the 
funeral,  and  heard  the  eloquent  oration  of  Phillips  ; and, 
having  learned  to  move  with  readiness  at  will,  he  visited 
the  South,  and  left  his  blessing  in  many  a negro’s  hut. 
In  Kansas  he  looked  with  interest  upon  the  dusky  South- 
ern emigrants,  who,  in  pursuit  of  their  full  liberty  as  citi- 
zens, had  braved  the  fury  of  the  northern  storms.  I 
followed  him  to  Hayti,  to  England,  to  Liberia,  and  then 
to  Cuba,  and  saw  him  rejoice  as  he  beheld  the  promise  of 
a free  world. 

At  length  his  spirit,  by  superior  attraction,  was  drawn 
up,  up,  till  heaven  in  its  transcendent  beauty  appeared 
before  him  ; its  mansions  towering  like  lofty  mountain- 
peaks  of  inconceivable  height,  their  crystal  windows  reflect- 
ing light  as  though  they  were  setting  suns.  lie  seemed 
in  no  hurry  to  enter,  but  stood  and  admired  the  shining 
towers  and  glittering  domes,  the  polished  jasper  wall 
stretching  away  till  it  seemed  but  a line,  the  rainbow-hued 
foundations  of  precious  stones,  but,  most  of  all,  the  mag- 
nificent gates,  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet  high,  and 
each  made  of  a single  pearl,1  that  shone  with  all  the 
colors  aud  all  the  brightness  of  a gorgeous  sunset  sky. 

At  last  I saw  him  apply  for  admission  where  sat  Peter 
with  the  key  at  his  girdle. 

“ What  is  thy  name?  ” asked  Peter. 

“ William  Lloyd  Garrison,”  said  he  in  a manly  way. 

“I  have  heard  of  thee,”  said  Peter;  “and,  if  thou 
hadst  applied  but  yesterday,  there  would  have  been  no 
admittance  for  thee.  But  we  have  just  received  advices 
from  the  Methodist  preachers’  meeting  in  Boston,  and 
read  the  laudatory  resolutions  passed  in  thy  honor,  and 


Rev  xxi.  17-21. 


8 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


thou  art  admitted.7’  And,  turning  to  an  angel  who  stood 
near,  he  said,  — 

u Guide,  show  him  the  place,  and  give  him  any  infor- 
mation that  he  may  desire.” 

Not  a word  said  Garrison.  He  seemed  overpowered  by 
a sense  of  the  peculiarity  of  his  situation,  and  was  dis- 
posed, I thought,  for  a time  to  let  matters  take  their  own 
course. 

Accompanied  by  the  guide,  he  now  moved  through  the 
gold-paved  streets  of  the  city  of  God.  He  looked  up  at 
the  mansions,  story  above  story,  till,  as  his  eyes  ascended 
to  the  fifteen-hundred-mile  heights,1 1 could  see  they  were 
strained  by  the  effort,  and  he  said,  — 

“ How  the  people  ever  climb  to  those  upper  stories  I 
cannot  imagine  : ft  is  as  much  as  I can  do  to  look  up 
there.” 

“ We  have  ready  means  for  ascending,”  said  the  guide, 
“ as  you  will  see  by  and  by.” 

On  they  went,  part  of  the  way  along  the  banks  of 
the  River  of  Life,  of  whose  water  Garrison  drank  most 
heartily ; and  then  he  ate  of  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  Life, 
which  grew  on  its  banks,  and  this  he  seemed  to  relish. 
And  I noticed,  that,  as  fast  as  the  fruit  was  picked, 
new  fruit  made  its  appearance  upon  the  branches.  At 
times  they  walked  as  an  ordinary  man  would  walk  : at 
other  times,  when  they  wished  to  move  rapidly,  impelled 
by  will,  they  went  with  a velocity  that  could  outspeed  the 
wind,  — through  extended  streets  and  splendid  avenues, 
across  beautiful  parks,  past  magnificent  temples,  meeting 
and  passing  on  the  way  millions  of  persons,  into  whose 


1 “ And  the  city  lieth  foursquare,  and  the  length  is  as  large  asthebreadth  : 
and  he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand  furlongs.  The  length 
and  the  breadth  and  the  height  of  it  are  equal.”  — Rev.  xxi.  16. 


A DREAM. 


9 


Paces  Garrison  looked  with  what  I thought  to  be  consider- 
able anxiety.  At  last  they  came  near  the  heart  of  the 
city,  to  the  shore  of  the  beautiful  lake,  which  the  guide 
called  the  Sea  of  Glass.  But  I found  that  the  light 
reflected  from  the  mirror-like  bosom  of  this  sea  was  pain- 
ful to  eyes  unaccustomed  to  its  peculiarities.  Here  were 
vessels  that  seemed  to  be  made  of  pearl,  constantly  going 
out  across  the  sea,  and  returning,  without  sails,  or  any 
visible  propelling  power,  yet  moving  with  very  great 
velocity.  They  stepped  into  one,  and  in  less  than  an 
hour  they  were  on  the  farther  side.  Here  Garrison  found 
himself  before  the  throne  of  God,  though  still  at  a dis- 
tance of  several  miles.  It  was  some  time  before  his  eyes 
could  become  accustomed  to  the  excessive  light ; for  it 
was  more  brilliant  than  a hundred  aggregated  suns. 
Music  such  as  mortal  ears  have  never  heard  made  the 
air  delicious  for  the  spirit  to  breathe.  It  overcame  Gar- 
rison, so  that  he  had  to  sit  down  for  a while  to  recover  his 
captive  senses. 

From  where  they  sat  no  man  could  see  with  distinctness 
what  was  immediately  around  the  throne  ; but  Garrison 
was  delighted  to  find  that  his  eyes  were  telescopic,  and  he 
could  see  very  near  to  it  four  strange  beasts,1  that  no 
scientist  might  name.  One  of  them  was  like  a lion ; 
another  resembled  a calf ; the  body  of  a third  was  as 
beastly  as  any,  but  he  had  the  face  of  a man  ; and  the 
fourth  was  like  an  eagle.  They  had  each  three  pairs  of 
wings,  which  they  used  as  fans  ; and,  what  was  strangest 
of  all,  they  were  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind.  With 
voices  more  shrill  than  the  steam-whistle  of  a locomotive, 
they  cried  out  every  few  minutes  in  concert,  k‘  Holy,  holy, 
holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to 
come.”  2 


1 Rev.  iv.  6. 


1 Rev.  iv.  8. 


10 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


Next  to  the  beasts  sat  twenty-four  elders,  clothed  in 
white,  with  crowns  of  gold  upon  their  heads  ; and  next  to 
them  were  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  men, 
whom  the  guide  called  virgin-shakers,  “for,”  said  he, 
“ they  never  defiled  themselves  with  women.”  1 

Outside  of  that  circle  were  “ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand  ” angels,  all  in  white  ; who,  when  the  beasts  had 
ceased,  sang,  and  played  upon  golden  harps,  and  made 
most  melodious  music,  that  could  be  heard  a hundred  miles 
away. 

. Above  the  throne  was  a gorgeous  rainbow  ; 2 yet  noth- 
ing could  be  seen  to  produce  it,  and  at  this  Garrison  won- 
dered. The  guide,  however,  remarked  that  it  was  but  a 
trifle,  and  that  he  would  see  infinitely  more  wonderful 
things  before  he  had  gone  the  round  of  the  Celestial  City. 
F rom  the  throne  proceeded  at  times  vivid  flashes  of  light- 
ning and  heaven-shaking  thunders,3  that  made  even  the 
harps  trenible  in  the  hands  of  the  players  ; and  then  dense 
^louds  of  smoke,  *so  that  the  throne  looked  for  a while 
like  a volcano.  I heard  Garrison  ask  the  meaning  of 
this  ; and  he  was  told  that  this  occurred  when  He  whc 
sat  upon  the  throne  was  particularly  angry,  ‘ ‘ and  is  not  a 
very  unusual  occurrence,  either,”  the  guide  added. 

“But  does  he  sit  upon  the  throne  all  the  time?”  in- 
quired Garrison  : “ if  he  does,  I think  he  may  be  excused 
for  being  occasionally  out  of  humor.” 

“ Oh,  no  ! ” was  the  reply.  “ Do  you  see  those  seven 
lamps  before  the  throne?” 

“I  do,”  said  William. 

“Well,  those  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God.  Seven, 
you  know,  is  a sacred  number.  God  rested  on  the  seventh 
day : there  are  seven  churches  and  seven  golden  candle- 

1 Rev.  xiv.  4.  1 Rev.  iv.  3.  8 Rev.  iv.  5. 


A DREAM. 


11 


sticks.  You  read  in  the  Bible  of  the  seven  angels, 
seven  seals,  seven  plagues,  seven  vials ; and  all  these  are 
emblematic  of  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  who  take  turns 
in  sitting  upon  the  throne  and  representing  him,  each  one 
occupying  the  throne  for  about  four  hours  at  a time. 
Otherwise,  not  even  a God  could  stand  the  continual 
music  of  the  ascended  saints,  and  the  prayers  of  the 
unascended  saints,  forever  rising.” 

“Well,  William,  what  do  }mu  think  of  the  place?” 
inquired  the  guide  after  a pause. 

“It  is  very  beautiful,”  said  Garrison;  “there  is  no 
denying  that.  And  the  music,  too,  is  very  fine,  though  I 
dislike  those  beastly  noises  ; but  I do  not  see  a single 
familiar  face,  and  the  most  of  those  that  I do  see  are  fai 
from  being  interesting.  We  have  met  millions  since  we 
started,  and  I have  peered  into  every  countenance ; but 
except  a few  Boston  divines,  who  — excuse  me  — are,  I 
think,  little  credit  to  the  place,  I have  not  seen  a face 
that  I ever  saw  before.  These  magnificent  buildings,  and 
golden  streets,  and  crowns  and  harps,  may  be  all  very 
well ; but  it  will  take  something  more  than  these  to  make 
heaven  for  me.” 

“Oh!  you  will  make  new  acquaintances,  and  be  verj 
much  at  home  by  and  by,”  I heard*  the  guide  say. 
“ Here,  take  this  harp,  and  join  in  the  song  of  the  re- 
deemed.” 

“ I would  give  a thousand  harps  for  the  sight  of  a 
friendly  face,”  said  Garrison  ; and  I marked  the  discon- 
solate look  that  clouded  his  noble  countenance, 

“ What  friends  had  you?  ” asked  the  guide. 

“Well,  George  Thompson,  who  left  us  a little  while 
ago.  Where  is  he?  ” 


1 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


“I  think  I know  whom  you  mean/'  was  the  reply. 
44  He  was  a Spiritualist,  was  he  not?  ” 

“He  was,”  answered  Garrison. 

“I  know  him,”  the  guide  continued;  “once  a true 
believer.  But  he  became  a pestilent  heretic,  a companion 
of  infidels,  and  this  is  no  place  for  such  as  he.” 

44  Where  is  he,  then?  ” inquired  Garrison. 

“There  are  but  two  places  for  departed  spirits,”  was 
(lie  answer.  44  He  believed  not  in  the  Lord  Jesus  as  a 
divine  Saviour ; and  he  has  gone  with  those  that  believe 
and  love  a lie,  and  where  the  fire  is  never  quenched.” 

44  George  Thompson  in  hell?”  exclaimed  Garrison. 
“ Then  I am  certainly  in  the  wrong  place.”  Sadder  than 
ever  grew  his  face  ; and  he  said,  4 4 1 wish  you  would  show 
me  where  Theodore  Parker’s  mansion  is.” 

44  Theodore  Parker  has  no  mansion  here,”  said  the 
guide.  44 1 remember  his  name  well.  We  had  prayers 
from  the  saints  of  Boston,  that  came  up  like  a cloud,  for 
God  to  stop  his  mouth,  to  put  a hook  in  his  jaws,  and  cut 
short  his  career ; and  as  soon  as  he  appeared,  which  was 
not  long,  we  hurried  him  off.” 

44  Where?  tell  me  where  ! ” Garrison  excitedly  said. 

44  To  hell,  of  course,”  replied  the  guide. 

When  Garrison  heard  this,  his  patience  was  exhausted, 
and  he  said,  “I  wish,  then,  you  would  hurry  me  there 
too ; for  I would  rather  be  in  hell  with  Parker  than  in 
heaven  with  any  of  the  company  I have  seen  yet.” 

44  Hush,  hush  ! ” said  the  guide.  44  You  will  feel  very 
differently  after  a while.  I had  some  such  feelings  when 
I first  came  to  this  place,  and  found  that  my  wife  and 
more  than  half  my  children  were  in  hell : but  I have 
become  perfectly  reconciled  to  it ; it  is  the  natural  effec4 
of  the  climate  of  this  place.” 


A DREAM. 


13 


“ God  forbid  that  I should  ever  become  reconciled  to 
any  such  thing!”  and  as  Garrison  said  this,  he  knit  his 
brows,  and  I could  see  a stern  resolve  springing  up  in  his 
benevolent  soul.  Then  turning  to  the  guide,  he  said,  “ I 
wish  I could  have  a talk  with  my  old  friend  Henry  C. 
Wright,  who  was  a hero  in  the  antislavery  cause  when 
Christian  ministers  were  cowards,  almost  to  a man.  He 
must  be  here.” 

“ There  is  no  Henry  C.  Wright  in  this  place,”  the 
guide  replied.  “ Henry  C.  Wright  was  an  infidel.  He 
once  wrote  a pamphlet  against  the  Bible.  He  was  a de- 
spiser  of  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  a wicked 
reviler  of  Jehovah ; and  his  portion  is  with  the  unbe- 
lievers.” 

“Henry  C.  Wright  and  Parker  and  Thompson  all  in 
hell!”  cried  Garrison.  “Let  me  go  there  too.  I can 
never  be  happy  in  this  place  while  they  are  in  misery : 
that  is  impossible.” 

“I  then  saw  — for  in  my  dream  I could  read  his 
thoughts  — that  he  was  thinking  who  there  could  be  in 
heaven  that  he  would  care  to  see ; and  his  mind  at  last 
rested  upon  Washington.  “ I had  no  great  affection  for 
him  when  on  earth,”  he  said  to  himself ; “ but  it  serins  to 
me  now  that  a sight  of  his  calm  face,  and  a few  words 
exchanged  with  him,  would  really  do  me  good.  Where  is 
Washington?”  he  inquired. 

“ We  have  several  persons  of  that  name  here,”  was 
the  answer.  “Which  of  them  is  it  about  whom  you  in- 
quire?” 

“George  Washington,  the  first  President  of  the  United 
States,”  was  Garrison’s  reply.  “ Heaven  would  hardly 
be  heaven  to  Americans,  if  he  were  absent.” 

“We  recognize  no  earthly  boundaries  here,”  the  guide 


14 


GA  RE  ISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


said,  “and  we  have  no  special  sympathy  with  republics 
George  Washington  has  gone  where  the  rebels  go.”  [Gar* 
rison  shuddered.]  “ Do  you  not  know  that  4 the  poweis 
that  be  are  ordained  of  God,’  and  he  that  ‘ resisteth  the 
power,  resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God  : and  they  that  re- 
sist shall  receive  to  themselves  damnation  * ? 1 Washington 
resisted  that  'power,  and  he  has  his  reward.  We  have 
had  one  rebellion  in  heaven,  and  we  do  not  want  another. 
Besides  that,  Washington  was  at  heart  as  great  an  unbe- 
liever as  Voltaire.  His  craft  availed  him  on  the  eartli., 
but  here  it  is  powerless.” 

“1  suppose,  then,”  said  Garrison,  “that  Jefferson, 
Adams,  Franklin,  and  Thomas  Paine,  those  grand  Revo 
lutionary  heroes,  are  all  there  with  Washington  too.” 

“Certainly!”  and  the  guide  smiled  as  he  said  it 
“What  would  be  the  use  of  hell,  if  such  men  as  these 
were  not  put  there?  They  were  all  infidels,  openly  or  a. 
heart,  and  trampled  upon  God’s  divine  word  ; and  now  the}* 
reap  as  they  sowed.  If  you  would  like  to  see  those  men 
you  have  been  talking  about,  I cau  show  them  to  you.” 
And  he  took  him  to  one  side  of  the  city,  where  there  waa 
a magnificent  silver  stairway,  extending  to  the  top  of  the 
city  wall.  The  wall  was  about  a quarter  of  a mile  broad, 
and  on  the  outer  edge  was  a sort  of  balcony  from  which 
could  be  obtained  a magnificent  prospect  of  hell.  Here 
many  of  the  saints  were  walking,  and  enjoying  the  view. 
4 Whenever  any  one  becomes  at  all  dissatisfied  with  our 
place,”  said  the  guide,  44  we  bring  him  up  here,  and  give 
him  a sight  of  the  other  place,  which  is  generally  all  that 
is  needed  to  make  him  perfectly  content.” 

By  this  time  they  had  arrived  at  the  very  brink,  and 
Garrison  with  protruding  eyes  was  staring  into  the  in- 

1 Rom.  xiii.  1,  2. 


A DREAM. 


15 


fernal  pit.  It  was  a sight  to  chill  the  soul.  It  appeared 
like  au  immense  volcanic  crater,  over  whose  boiling  sur- 
face hovered  blue  flames,  and  smoke  ascended  continually. 
To  an  earthly  eye,  no  being  the  size  of  a man  could  b< 
discerned ; but  angel  eyes  could  distinguish  the  forms  ol 
the  lost  as  they  sank  and  rose  in  what  appeared  like  a 
boiling  caldron ; while  the  wail  of  the  damned,  loudei 
than  the  roar  of  a tornado,  made  even  the  wall  of  heaven 
tremble  to  its  foundation. 

“ Look  closely,”  said  the  guide,  “ and  you  will  see  somt 
of  the  men  of  whom  you  have  been  inquiring;”  and  ir 
my  dream  it  seemed  as  if  my  sight  and  hearing  were  keei 
as  an  angel’s,  and  I could  discern  Thompson,  Parker,  and 
Wright,  Jefferson,  Paine,  and  Franklin,  as  with  imploring 
faces  they  looked  up  from  that  fiery  sea  of  agony,  and  J 
heard  the  words,  — 

“ How  long,  O Lord  ! how  long?  ” 

Then  arose  a sound,  hollow  and  penetrating,  that  echoed 
from  the  caverns  of  the  damned,  and  it  said,  — 

“Forever  and  forever:  my  eternal  wrath  is  the  fuel, 
and  the  fire  can  never  be  quenched.” 

Louder  rose  the  wail  of  the  lost,  so  that  it  made  even 
the  guide  shudder,  and  he  wished  to  go.  But  Garrison 
stood  as  if  rooted  to  the  spot,  with  staring  eyes  looking 
into  the  den  of  woe.  And  to  my  horror,  as  I looked  also, 
I saw  Agassiz  and  Humboldt : there  was  no  mistaking 
their  well-marked  countenances.  Garrison  did  not  seem 
to  know  Humboldt ; but  with  Agassiz  he  was  well  ac- 
quainted. . 

“ Good  God  ! ” said  he  to  the  guide,  “ what  had  Agassiz 
done,  that  he  should  be  there  ? Heaven  cannot  afford  to 
lose  such  a man  as  he.” 

“ He  is  not  there  so  much  on  account  of  what  he  had 


16 


G UtRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


done,”  the  guide  replied,  “as  on  account  of  what  he;  had 
left  undone.  Such  men  as  Agassiz  are  too  proud  of  their 
scientific  attainments  to  humble  themselves,  and  become 
beggars  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Agassiz  not  only  failed 
to  accept  the  only  terms  by  which  a sinner  can  be  saved, 
but  he  also  denied  the  existence  of  Adam  ; and  he  who 
does  that,  denies  the  necessity  of  the  Saviour,  and  turns 
his  back  upon  the  only  friend  a man  can  have  between 
earth  and  hell.  Science  is,  next  to  Satan,  the  deadly  foe 
of  heaven  ; and  where  that  flourishes  revivals  languish,  and 
scoffers  abound.” 

As  they  stood  talking,  lo ! I saw  that  some  one  in  hell 
had  recognized  Garrison’s  face  ; and  quickly  the  news  was 
conveyed  from  one  to  another,  till  the  sunshine  of  hope 
rolled  back  the  clouds  of  darkness  from  the  face  of  the 
infernal  pit,  and  I heard  the  lost  souls  say  to  one  another, 
“ If  Garrison  is  in  heaven,  there  is  hope  for  us  yet.” 

“Is  there  no  way,”  said  Garrison,  as  they  retraced 
their  steps,  “ by  which  these  poor  souls  can  be  saved?  I 
would  willingly  give  myself  to  save  them.” 

“ Such  feelings  as  yours  are  manifest  in  some  when 
they  first  come  here,  before  they  have  become  thoroughly 
imbued  with  a heavenly  spirit,”  I heard  the  guide  say. 
“No:  there  is  no  Saviour  for  the  lost.  Hell’s  night  is 
followed  by  no  day,  and  its  sky  knows  no  star.  Him 
against  whom  heaven’s  gates  are  closed,  they  are  closed 
forever.  ’ ’ 

Garrison  was  silent  for  some  time  ; but  at  last  he  said, 
“ Tell  me  who  is  in  heaven : perhaps  1 may  be  able  to 
find  some  old  acquaintance  yet.” 

“ Well,”  said  the  guide,  “ Abram  is  here.” 

“I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,”  said  Garrison  ; and 
h/s  face  was  light  with  joy  for  the  first  time  since  he  had 


A DREAM. 


17 


entered  the  place.  “I  am  glad  to  hear  that ; for,  of  all 
the  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  the  one  I should  like 
best  to  see  is  Abram  Lincoln.” 

“Abram  Lincoln!”  said  the  guide:  “that  is  not  the 
man  at  all.  There  is  no  Abram  Lincoln  here.  I mean 
Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful,  and  the  friend  of 
God.” 

“ What?  ” exclaimed  Garrison  : “ you  don’t  mean  that 
slaveholding  and  slave-breeding  old  sinner,  who  turned 
his  wife  Hagar  into  the  wilderness  to  perish?  ” 

“ Certainly  I do.  But  that  is  not  a proper  way  to  speak 
of  the  ancient  patriarch.” 

“ But  Abraham  Lincoln  was  an  infinitely  better  man 
than  he.” 

“ I dare  say,”  was  the  guide’s  answer.  “ But  admission 
to  heaven  depends  upon  fitness,  not  upon  goodness.  He 
that  believeth  is  saved,  not  he  that  doeth.  You  may 
remember  a beautiful  couplet  that  the  saints  below  some- 
times sing : — 

‘ All  the  fitness  He  requireth 
Is  to  feel  your  need  of  Him.’ 


And  another : — 

‘ Lay  your  deadly  doing  down, 

Down  at  Jesus’  feet.’ 

There  are  persons  here  whose  relationship  the  Devil  would 
blush  to  acknowledge,  but  who,  by  faith  in  Jesus  at  the 
last  hour,  nay,  the  last  moment,  have  been  dipped  in  the 
blood-cleansing  fountain,  and  obtained  an  entrance  through 
the  pearly  gates.  Isaac  and  Jacob  are  here,  Moses  and 
Samson,  Samuel  and  David,  Solomon  and  Jehu,  Constan- 
tine the  Great  and  Henry  the  Eighth,  Calvin  who  mur- 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


18 

dered  Servetus,  Bloody  Mary  who  burnt  the  Protestants, 
and  equally  Bloody  Elizabeth  who  burnt  the  Catholics. 
They  were  admitted,  not  because  their  lives  were  patterns 
of  perfection,  but  because  they  exercised  saving  faith  in 
a Redeemer  to  come,  or  One  who  had  come  and  prepared 
mansions  for  all  who  should  trust  in  him  to  the  utmost.” 

“If  those  only  come  to  heaven,”  said  Garrison,  “ who 
have  saving  faith  in  Jesus,  your  company  must  be  very 
small  compared  with  the  mass  of  mankind.  Are  theso 
all  that  are  allowed  to  enter  heaven  ? ’ ’ 

“Certainly  not,”  replied  the  guide:  “ you  forget ! all 
the  babies  come  to  heaven.” 

“ Oil,  the  babies  !”  said  Garrison.  “ I had  not  though 
of  them.” 

“Yes:  all  the  babies  are  in  heaven,”  continued  tlx 
guide.  “ They  never  sinned  away  their  day  of  grace  ; the} 
never  chose  the  broad  road  to  ruin ; and  Jesus  washec 
away  the  original  sin  which  they  had  contracted  from 
Adam,  their  federal  head.  Thanks  be  to  God,  in  his  un 
speakable  mercy,  all  babies,  even  the  children  of  heretics 
and  the  worst  of  sinners,  are  admitted  to  heaven.” 

But  Garrison  did  not  seem  to  join  in  this  thanksgiving  : 
he  was  in  deep  thought.  “ But  where  are  their  mothers?  ” 
said  he. 

“ Well,  some  of  them  are  here,  — perhaps  two  or  three 
out  of  a thousand.” 

“ Where  are  the  rest?  ” inquired  Garrison. 

“ To  tell  you  the  truth,”  was  the  answer,  “ they  are  in 
that  pit  we  were  looking  at  a while  ago.” 

“ The  poor  babies ! ” I heard  Garrison  say  in  a tone  of 
pity. 

“Oh  well!”  said  the  guide,  “ our  God  takes  care  of 
the  little  ones.” 


A DREAM. 


19 


“Yes,”  said  Garrison.  “But  God  is  a He;  only  a 
father:  no  one  can  care  fora  little  one  like  its  mother. 
But  you  certainly  have  others  in  heaven.  I see  many 
grown  persons  here  with  very  childish  ways,  but  they  are 
not  babies.” 

“Oh,  I know  whom  you  mean!”  said  the  guide. 
“ Those  are  the  imbeciles,  idiots,  and  persons  generally  of 
weak  intellect.  They  never  had  intelligence  enough  to 
reject  the  Saviour,  or  to  deny  the  Lord  that  bought  them, 
and  hence  they  are  all  here,  of  every  nation  and  of  all 
time ; and  you  may  therefore  well  imagine  that  idiots  con- 
stitute a large  proportion  of  our  population.” 

“ It  looks  like  that,”  said  Garrison.  “ And  now  I think 
of  it,  you  must  have  some  murderers,”  he  added.  “ I 
have  seen  several  persons  that  look  to  me  as  if  they  must 
have  been  very  vicious  characters  on  earth.” 

“ That  is  true,”  the  guide  replied.  “We  have  a large 
proportion  of  murderers,  in  fact,  nearly  all  the  men  and 
?romen  that  have  been  hung  for  murder  in  Christian  lands. 
You  know,  when  men  are  condemned  to  die,  and  all  hope 
of  earthly  aid  is  gone,  they  naturally  turn  to  the  Friend  of 
sinners,  who  can  wash  the  vilest  clean.  They  receive  an 
application  to  their  souls  of  the  blood  of  Him  who  was  hung 
for  them  ; and  thus,  when  the  rope  is  placed  around  their 
necks,  and  the  platform  falls,  they  swing  into  the  arms  of 
the  Saviour,  who  has  said  that  whosoever  cometli  to  him 
he  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.” 

“ Yes,”  said  Garrison.  “ I have  heard  of  being  ‘ jerked 
to  Jesus  ; ’ but  I never  expected  to  see  so  many  who  had 
gone  throat  the  operation.  It  seems  to  me,  after  all, 
that  you  have  very  few  here  except  those  who  are  not 
worth  damning.” 

I thought  the  guide  would  certainly  resent  this : but  he 


20 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


bit  his  lip,  and  blandly  replied,  “ It  must  be  confessed 
that  intellectual  men,  in  the  pride  of  their  mental  attain- 
ments, generally  discard  the  simple  plan  of  salvation, 
which  is  accepted  readily  by  babes  in  knowledge,  and 
those  from  whom  all  earthly  hope  has  fled.” 

By  this  time  they  had  arrived  within  a few  miles  of  the 
throne  ; and  I saw  in  my  dream  that  the  guide  conducted 
him  through  the  innumerable  company,  past  the  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand,  the  -elders,  and  the  beasts,  first 
providing  him  with  a shade  for  his  eyes,  so  that  he  could 
bear  the  dazzling  glory  that  rayed  from  the  throne.  Back 
of  the  throne  was  a large  tube  with  a trumpet-shaped 
mouth,  immediately  beneath  the  ear  of  Jehovah. 

“ You  will  find  something  there  that  will  interest  you,’ 
shouted  the  guide  as  he  pointed  to  it,  and  indicated  that 
Garrison  should  stand  nearer  to  the  mouth  of  the  tube. 
At  first  it  was  like  listening  to  the  howl  of  a tempest. 

“ What  can  that  be?  ” asked  Garrison.  “ It  is  a more 
confused  noise  than  that  of  all  the  performers  and  the 
beasts  together.” 

“That,”  replied  the  guide,  “is  the  prayer-tube,  by 
which  all  the  prayers  of  the  world  are  conducted  to  heaven, 
— from  the  scream  of  a new-born  babe  in  Christ  to  the 
bawling  of  a hoary  revivalist.” 

I could  see  that  Garrison  was  most  intently  listening ; 
but  it  was  long  before  he  could  distinguish  any  thing.  At 
length,  just  as  we  distinguish  in  a band  the  music  of  any 
particular  instrument,  so  I perceived  that  Garrison  was 
able  to  distinguish  the  various  petitions  as  they  came  up. 
There  were  prayers  for  rain,  and  prayers  for  fine  weather, 
from  the  same  district.  The  Roman  Catholics  were  pray- 
ing for  money  to  build  colleges,  and  establish  schools ; 
and  Protestants,  for  money  to  send  missionaries  among  the 


A BREAM. 


21 


Catholics,  to  turn  them  from  the  error  of  their  ways.  “ O 
Lord,  save  thy  ancient  people  the  Jews,  and  lead  them 
to  see  that  Jesus  is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life,”  came 
up  from  a pious  Christian  ; and,  from  a Jewish  rabbi,  “ O 
Lord,  Jehovah,  God  of'our  fathers,  turn  thou  the  hearts 
of  Christians  back  to  thee,  and  show  them  the  wickedness 
of  walking  after  the  impostor  of  Galilee.”  The  cries  of 
temperance  people  came  up,  “ No  rum  ; ” and  the  cries  of 
thirsty  drunkards,  “More  whiskey.”  Ambitious  officers 
were  calling  for  war ; and  the  voices  of  the  benevolent 
could  be  heard  imploring  for  peace.  Old  maids  were  pray- 
ing for  husbands,  husbands  for  the  death  of  their  terma- 
gant wives,  and  wives,  in  their  turn,  for  the  conversion  of 
their  drunken,  tobacco-fuddled  husbands.  “ Moderate  the 
weather,  O God,  I beseech  thee,”  prayed  a broken-hearted 
widow,  “ or  my  little  ones  will  perish,  fori  have  no  money 
to  buy  fuel.”  — “ Give  us  a cold,  bitter  winter,”  came  up 
from  many  a colliery  district,  “ that  coal  may  rise  in  price, 
the  miners  be  well  paid,  and  our  families  saved  from  want.” 
— “ Give  us  dry  weather,  that  I may  save  my  tobacco,” 
prayed  a Connecticut  farmer:  “it  is  all  that  I have  to 
depend  upon  for  the  support  of  my  family.”  — “ God  blast 
the  tobacco,  wherever  it  grows,”  cried  an  iconoclastic 
reformer,  “and  let  this  devil’s  weed  go  to  the  only  fit 
place  for  it,  where  the  smoke  ascendeth  forever.”  One 
prayer  in  a million  or  so  received  some  attention ; but 
the  rest  passed  off  like  extra  steam  from  the  safety-valve 
of  a locomotive.  As  they  stood  there,  “ God  give  us  Grant 
for  President,”  came  out  in  thunder- tones ; “he  alone 
can  save  us  from  anarchy,  and  a worse  than  French  revo 
lution  ; ” and  then,  “ God  save  us  from  a third  term  ; for 
it  means  death  to  our  republic,  an  aristocracy,  like  that 
of  England,  feeding  on  the  vitals  of  the  nation,  and  a 


oo 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


peasantry,-  like  that  of  Ireland,  forever  on  the  verge  of 
famine.”  — “ Make  bare  thine  arm,  O Lord  ! ” 

“That,”  said  Garrison,  “ must  be  from  some  Methodist 
prayer-meeting  ; for  most  of  the  Methodists  seem  to  think 
that  God  is  a kind  of  big,  burfy  brother,  who  will  fight 
their  battles  if  they  can  only  induce  him  to  strip  for  the 
encounter.” 

“ Come  down,  O God,  and  get  thyself  a great  name.” 
When  this  came  out,  Garrison  could  not  help  smiling,  and 
the  guide  laughed  outright. 

“ Now,  where  do  you  suppose  that  comes  from?  ” asked 
the  guide.  And,  without  waiting  for  a reply,  he  said,  “ I 
will  show  you  ; ” and  touching  Garrison’s  eyes,  they  fol- 
lowed a line,  which  in  my  dream  mine  also  followed,  down 
to  earth,  that  led  to  the  speaker,  who  was  in  a small  meet- 
ing-house in  a Kansas  village. 

“ The  idea  of  our  God  going  down  there  to  get  a great 
name ! ” said  the  guide  with  an  ill-disguised  sneer. 

They  now  walked  about  very  near  the  throne,  looking  at 
the  singers  and  players,  and  examining  the  instruments. 

“ Who  is  that  red-faced  old  man,”  inquired  Garrison, 
“ with  a crown  on  his  head,  and  a long  white  beard,  who 
plays  on  an  exceedingly  tall  harp,  with  a great  deal  of 
spirit  and  admirable  skill?  ” 

I was  not  surprised  to  hear  the  reply.  “ That  is  King 
David.  He  may  well  be  a good  player : he  was  not  a poor 
performer  when  he  came  here,  and  he  has  been  playing 
ever  since,  — now  nearly  three  thousand  years.” 

Near  him  was  a brawny  fellow,  realizing  my  idea  of  a 
giant,  who  was  beating  an  enormous  drum.  He  wore  for 
a breastpin  a large  golden  jaw-bone ; and,  what  was  still 
more  remarkable,  the  drumsticks  were  also  in  the  shape 
of  jaw-bones,  and  with  these  he  was  lustily  beating  time 


A DREAM. 


23 


to  the  music  of  the  “ sweet  singer  of  Israel.”  This  I 
found  was  Samson,  who  did  more  with  a jaw-bone  than 
any  other  man  could  have  done  with  a Winchester  rifle. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  were  Rahab  the  harlot,  who 
allowed  the  people  of  her  city  to  be  butchered,  and  never 
gave  a word  #of  warning  ; Jael,  the  wife  of  Heber  the 
Keuite,  who  with  hammer  and  nail  smote  the  confiding 
Sisera  ; Judith,  who  cut  off  the  head  of  Holofernes  ; Bath- 
sheba  the  adulteress  ; and  the  much  married  Solomon,  he:* 
son.  These  were  in  fact,  I learned,  among  the  chie: 
aristocracy  of  the  celestial  circles. 

“ Well,”  said  Garrison,  in  a more  cheerful  tone  than  .[ 
had  heard  before  since  he  entered,  “if  I am  going  to 
remain  here,  there  are  several  questions  that  I should  likJ 
to  ask  you  about  the  place  and  people.  In  the  first  place 
I should  like  to  know  why  you  have  gates  and  walls  here 
Walls  and  gates  are  either  to  keep  evil-doers  out,  or  to 
keep  evil-doers  in  : now,  which  is  it  in  this  case?  ” 

“ You  act  the  most  strangely,”  said  the  guide,  “ mak<«. 
the  oddest  remarks,  and  ask  the  most  singular  questions, 
of  any  man  that  I ever  accompanied  around  here.  Bui 
Peter  told  me  to  give  you  any  information  you  might 
desire ; and  if  he  has  no  objection,  I do  not  see  that  I 
ought  to  have  auy.  Well,  you  may  know  that  we  once 
had  a war  here.  You  had  a war  in  the  United  States : 
but  yours  was  only  a drop  ; ours,  an  almost  infinite  ocean. 
The  arch-rebel,  as  you  may  have  heard,  was  overcome, 
cast  down  into  the  fiery  abyss,  and  then  the  walls  were 
erected,  and  the  gates  placed.” 

“Are  you,  then,  afraid,”  inquired  Garrison,  “that 
Satan  will  force  an  entrance  into  heaven?  ” 

“I  can  hardly  say  that,”  was  the  answer;  “ but  it  ia 
best  to  be  prepared  for  the  worst.  The  population  of  liefl 


24 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


is  very  much  greater  than  that  of  heaven.  Beelzebub 
gets  ten  to  our  one,  and  I must  say  many  of  them  are 
people  of  courage  and  genius.  He  receives  no  children, 
no  idiots,  no  people  of  weak  intellect.  A man  must  have 
some  knowledge  to  sin,  and  to  be  a great  sinner  requires 
considerable  ability.  As  a consequence  of  this,  the 
strength  of  our  enemy  increases  with  fearful  rapidity  ; and 
if  we  should  have  another  war  here  (which  is  not  impossi- 
ble), with  an  enemy  within,  and  this  terrible  enemy  with- 
out, the  result  might  be  disastrous.” 

Garrison’s  face  beamed  with  delight  as  he  heard  this 
confession. 

“I  do  not  know,”  added  the  guide,  “ but  that  in  self- 
protection we  may  be  obliged  to  be  less  stringent  about 
admitting  souls  here  ; and  your  presence  is,  perhaps,  some 
evidence  that  we  are  commencing  to  make  such  a change.” 

“ I should  like  to  inquire  where  the  women  are,”  said 
Garrison  : “ I do  not  see  nearly  as  many  as  I supposed  I 
should.” 

“This  is  a very  large  place,”  was  the  guide’s  reply, 
“ and  you  have  not  begun  to  see  what  is  here  yet.  You 
must  remember,  our  city  is  fifteen  hundred  miles  long, 
fifteen  hundred  miles  wide,  and  fifteen  hundred  miles 
high  : it  contains  millions  of  mansions,  and  billions  of 
rooms.  There  are  more  children  here  than  persons  of 
any  other  class,  (half  the  children,  even  in  civilized  coun- 
tries, die  before  they  are  ten  years  of  age),  and  since 
there  is  no  growth  here,  for  you  know  1 as  the  tree  falls  so 
it  lies,’  we  have  thousands  of  millions  of  babies,  which 
require  the  attention  of  a great  many  women,  millions  of 
whom,  and  especially  maiden  women,  are  thus  constantly 
employed.  Having  no  husbands  to  serve  on  earth,  they 
served  the  Lord  ; and  when  they  had  money  they  generally 


A DREAM. 


25 


left  it  to  his  cause  ; and  heaven  opens  wide  its  portals  to 
them.  Here  they  can  gratify  their  love  of  music  and  their 
love  of  children.  Many  of  them  pass  alternately  from  the 
nursery  to  the  public  choir.” 

“Doubtless  many  of  the  maiden  ladies  marry  after 
they  get  here,”  remarked  Garrison. 

“Oh,  no!”  said  the  guide,  “nothing  of  that  kind. 
You  know  Jesus  said,  4 In  heaven  they  neither  marry  nor 
are  given  in  marriage.’  There  are  so  many  women  here, 
and  so  few  men,  that,  if  some  could  marry,  the  rest  would 
be  dissatisfied,  and  we  should  have  a hell  set  up  n 
heaven  : little  unpleasantnesses  occur,  even,  as  it  is.” 

“Another  question,”  said  Garrison.  “I  admired  the 
magnificent  gate  at  the  entrance  of  heaven  ; and  what  I 
want  to  know  is,  where  the  pearls  are  obtained  of  which 
the  gates  of  heaven  are  made.” 

“ The  pearls  of  which  the  gates  are  made,  are  obtained 
from  oysters  which  we  find  in  the  Sea  of  Glass.  We  call 
it  the  Sea  of  Glass,  because  its  surface  is  forever  unruffled. 
With  light  forever  shining,  the  oysters  grow  to  a size  of 
which  you  can  form  but  little  conception.  Some  of  the 
largest  are  as  much  as  a mile  long,  and  have  shells  from 
ten  to  twenty  feet  thick.  When  we  wish  to  open  one,  we 
erect  large  machines  upon  the  shore,  and  watching  a con- 
venient opportunity,  when  the  animal  opens  its  shell,  we 
apply  strong  steel  hooks  which  are  attached  to  wire  cables, 
and  by  continuous  strain  break  the  hinge,  and  open  the 
shell ; and  our  divers  bring  to  the  surface  the  pearly 
treasures,  which  our  artificers  manufacture  into  tables, 
chairs,  thrones  for  our  many  kings,  ornaments  for  harps, 
and  apply  to  various  other  uses.  The  empty  shells  are 
polished  on  the  exterior,  and  made  into  pleasure-boats,  in 
which  the  saints  make  daily  excursions  on  the  Sea  o / 


2G 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


Glass.  It  was  a boat  of  that  kind  in  which  we  came 
over.  ’ ’ 

“Oysters  of  that  size,”  remarked  Garrison,  “must  con- 
tain a great  deal  of  meat.  Do  you  make  any  use  of 
that?  ” 

“ Of  course  we  make  use  of  it,  as  you  will  see  when 
you  take  your  meals.” 

44  What ! do  you  take  meals  here?  ” 

4 4 Why,  certainly,”  was  the  answer.  44  Do  you  suppose 
that  these  people  can  sing  and  play  forever  without  rest 
or  food  ? There  are  three  relays  of  singers  and  players  ; 
each  being  on  duty  about  eight  hours  at  a time,  and 
without  a moment’s  intermission.  If  they  were  to  cease 
singing,  chanting,  or  playing,  even  for  an  instant,  it  might 
be  very  unpleasant ; for  when  the  wind  blows  in  a certain 
direction  we  should  hear  the  howl  of  the  damned  with  too 
great  distinctness  for  some  of  our  fastidious  people.  0:i 
course,  when  one  relay  exchanges  with  the  next,  the 
singers  are  hungry  as  wolves,  and  are  ready  for  a meal 
which  is  provided  for  them  in  the  celestial  restaurants 
Oyster-stews,  such  as  you  never  dreamed  of  on  earth 
delight  the  papillary  nerves  of  the  redeemed.  For  des- 
sert, fruit  of  the  Tree  of  Life,  and  wine  of  the  King- 
dom, are  abundantly  provided,  after  which  the  performers 
recreate  for  eight  hours,  sleep  for  eight  hours,  and  are 
ready  for  duty  again.” 

4 4 But  I cannot  see  how  you  obtain  fuel  to  cook  for  such 
a multitude,”  said  Garrison. 

“ Well,  we  do  not  go  far  for  fuel,  I can  assure  you,” 
was  the  reply.  44  Hell,  the  hottest  of  all  places,  is  but  a 
short  distance  from  here  ; and  we  utilize  its  heat  in  a way 
that  would  interest  3^011.  We  have  golden  pipes,  that  can- 
Qot  be  destroyed  by  the  sulphurous  fumes,  which  convey 


A DREAM. 


27 


heat  from  the  lower  part  of  hell,  returning  at  a higher 
level ; and  these  supply  our  kitchens  with  all  the  heat  that 
is  necessary  for  culinary  purposes.  You  have  read  in  the 
Scriptures  that  God  makes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
him,  and  this  is  one  way  in  which  he  accomplishes  it. 
The  wrath  of  man  renders  the  fires  of  hell  necessary,  and 
by  the  heat  of  hell  the  meals  are  cooked  for  the  saints 
who  praise  the  Lord  forever.” 

“ But  in  winter  you  must  be  uncomfortable  here  in  the 
open  air.” 

“ There  is  no  winter  here.”  Said  the  guide,  “ the  heat 
of  hell  tempers  the  climate  so  delightfully,  we  have  ever- 
lasting spring,  and  flowers  bloom  continually.  You  have 
probably  read  those  charming  verses  of  the  Christian 
poet,  — 

“ There  everlasting  spring  abides, 

And  never-withering  flowers.” 

That  writer  did  not  know,  of  course,  that  the  heat  of  hell 
gives  us  this  everlasting  spring ; yet  such  is  the  fact.” 

“ I should  think  that  the  saints  who  are  on  duty  at 
night  would  not  be  so  well  satisfied.” 

“But  my  dear  fellow,”  said  the  guide,  “there  is  no 
night  here:  the  glory  of  God  gives  us  everlasting  day.” 

“But  even  that,”  replied  Garrison,  “cannot  be  very 
pleasant  when  a person  wishes  to  sleep.” 

“ We  can  readily  make  artificial  night,”  he  said.  “ You 
have  noticed  that  the  houses  of  our  city  are  of  immense 
height ; and  the  walls  of  the  lower  stories  are  of  enormous 
thickness,  to  bear  the  superincumbent  weight.  We  have, 
therefore,  connected  with  all  our  mansions,  dark  lowei 
rooms,  where  one  can  sleep  with  great  comfort ; for  with 
non-conducting  shutters  we  can  keep  out  both  the  songs 


28 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


of  heaven  and  the  wailings  of  hell,  and  sleep  in  the  great- 
est peace.” 

“ Where  do  these  harps  come  from  on  which  the  people 
are  playing?”  inquired  Garrison.  • 

“I  will  show  you  some  day.  We  have  a grand  harp- 
factory,  in  which  many  thousands  of  hands  are  constantly 
employed.  A great  many  harps  are  broken  : millions  are 
worn  out  by  continual  fingering.  We  melt  up  the  gold 
attached  to  them,  cast  them  over,  refit  them  with  new 
strings,  and  they  are  then  ready  for  service  again.” 

“Then  you  have  various  employments  in  heaven.” 

“Certainly,”  said  the  guide.  “How  otherwise  could 
we  supply  the  needs  of  such  a city  as  ours  ? I find  many 
saints  come  here  with  very  crude  ideas  of  the  actual  con- 
dition of  affairs.  All  are  not  employed  in  making  music. 
We  have  many  employments.  Miners  are  constantly  at 
work  digging  up  gold.  To  keep  our  streets  in  good  con- 
dition requires  not  a little.  Cooks  are  preparing  meals. 
Tailors  and  dressmakers  are  fashioning  clothes,  and  wash- 
ers renewing  them.  These  robes  so  white  are  not  made  so 
without  labor ; and,  although  you  read  that  the  robes  are 
made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  the  blood,  as  you 
may  well  suppose,  does  but  a small  part  of  the  work. 
Then  we  have  a great  many  jewellers,  who  are  making 
crowns ; for  we  have  a great  many  kings  in  heaven, 
though  there  is  little  to  indicate  it  beyond  the  crowns  they 
wear.  A good  deal  of  earthly  pride  clings  to  some  of  the 
saints,  and  they  will  have  the  crowns.  If  you  like,  I will 
take  you  to  the  crown-room,  and  show  you  some  that  we 
have  on  hand.” 

So  he  took  him  into  a large  room,  where  there  were 
many  crowns  prepared  for  those  w*ho  were  considered 
worthy  to  wear  them.  It  fairly  blazed  with  the  light 
reflected  from  the  crowns  and  their  jewels. 


A DREAM. 


29 


44  This  is  a babyish  kind  of  business,”  said  Garrison. 

44 1 dare  say  it  seems  so  to  you,”  said  the  guide,  44  and 
I have  no  great  fancy  for  it  myself ; but  the  fact  is,  we 
have  a vast  number  of  babyish  people  in  heaven,  and  tney 
must  be  gratified.” 

At  this  instant  a ringing  clatter  in  the  direction  of  the 
throne  broke  upon  the  music-laden  air  in  painful  discord. 
As  Garrison  turned  to  ascertain  the  cause,  I also  turned ; 
and,  behold,  the  seats  of  the  twenty-four  elders  were  empty, 
and  the  elders  themselves  were  down  on  the  golden  pave- 
ment, scrambling  for  the  scattered  jewels  of  their  twenty- 
four  golden  crowns,  which  they  statedly  throw  down  in 
response  to  the  cry  of  the  beasts.  When  Garrison  beheld 
this  scene,  and  remembered,  that,  according  to  the  state- 
ment of  the  Revelator,1  this  performance  has  been  re- 
peated, day  and  night,  through  unnumbered  ages,  he  said 
excitedly,  — 

4 4 4 Babyish’  indeed!  Such  conduct  is  inexpressibly 
puerile  ! But  is  there  never  any  quiet  in  heaven  ? Much 
of  this  noise  appears  to  be  made  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  keep  up  a continual,  senseless  racket.  I am  certain  I 
can  never  learn  to  like  it.” 

44  0h!  you  bear  it  very  well,”  said  the  guide,  “fora 
person  of  your  age  and  habits.  It  will  not  be  likely  to 
annoy  you  after  you  once  become  accustomed  to  it.” 

Garrison  smiled  incredulously ; but,  turning  again  to 
the  crowns,  he  said,  — 

“Some  of  these  crowns  are  destitute  of  jewels,  and 
others  are  adorned  with  vast  numbers  : what  is  the  mean- 
ing of  this?” 

“The  jewels,”  said  the  guide,  44  are  the  souls  they 
have  saved,  — for  every  soul  a jewel ; and  the  great  re* 

1 Rev.  iv.  8-10. 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


oO 

vivalists,  as  you  probably  have  conjectured,  will  be  the 
ones  to  wear  these  blazing  crowns.  This  [taking  up  a 
peculiar  one]  is  the  crown  we  have  prepared  for  Moody 
the  evangelist,  whom  you  have  no  doubt  seen.” 

The  crown  was  in  the  shape  of  a steeple,  and  was 
studded  all  over  with  very  line  jewels. 

“What!”  said  Garrison,  “has  that  man  a crown? 
Why,  a crown  would  be  as  much  out  of  place  on  that 
man’s  head  as  a fashionable  bonnet  on  the  head  of  a 
monkey  ! I do  not  doubt  that  the  man  is  honest  enough  ; 
but  he  is  wofully  ignorant,  and  as  superstitious  as  a 
Yeboo  negro.” 

“ True,”  said  the  guide,  “ as  far  as  science  and  worldly 
knowledge  are  concerned.  But  he  is  wise  enough  to  win 
souls ; and  that  is  the  most  important  of  all  knowledge, 
or,  at  all  events,  that  is  what  counts  here.” 

“ But  how  do  you  know  the  number  of  jewels  to  put  in 
his  crown,  since  he  is  not  dead  yet?  ” 

“ I will  tell  you.  You  have  a Probabilities,  who  can 
tell  the  weather  forty-eight  hours  beforehand.  We  have 
men  who  can  tell,  not  what  is  probable,  but  what  is  cer- 
tain, years  beforehand.  We  do  not  call  them  Probabili- 
ties, therefore,  but  Certainties.  They  know  just  how  many 
souls  each  person  will  convert.  Orders  can  thus  be  given 
to  the  jewellers,  and  the  crowns  be  provided  that  the  soul- 
savers  are  to  wear.” 

“ But  I should  think  the  jewellers  would  put  larger  gems 
into  some  of  the  crowns,”  remarked  Garrison.  “There 
is  Moody’s  crown,  for  instance,  in  which  the  jewels  are 
as  fine  as  sand-grains.  If  some  of  them  were  of  large 
size,  the  crown  would  look  much  better.” 

“True,”  was  the  reply  again;  “but  the  size  of  the 
jewel  is  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  soul  that  is  saved. 


A DREAM. 


31 


Nearly  all  the  souls  that  are  saved  through  Moody’s 
preaching  are  small,  and  the  gems  in  his  crown  are  small 
as  a consequence.  He  has  scarcely  any  influence,  as  you 
may  know,  with  men  and  women  of  enlarged  minds  and 
sound  judgment.  Such  persons  seem  to  imagine,  that 
because  his  preaching  is  foolish,  and  his  conclusions  un- 
reasonable, they  do  right  to  reject  them.  But  you  know 
the  apostle  said,  4 It  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of 
preaching  to  save  them  that  believe.’ 1 And  the  more 
foolish  and  unreasonable  the  preaching,  the  more  sure  the 
salvation.  For  the  faith  that  can  accept  such  preaching 
without  question  of  its  Divine  authority  can  laugh  at  all 
impossibilities  with  the  greatest  ease.” 

For  the  first  time  I now  saw  Garrison  turn  toward  the 
guide  a.searching  glance,  as  if  he  would  learn  what  man- 
ner of  spirit  animated  the  being  before  him  ; but  the 
countenance  of  that  dignitary  was  as  serene  as  the  surface 
of  the  Sea  of  Glass,  and  almost  as  expressionless  : so  Gar- 
rison merely  remarked, — 

“ Now  that  I am  here  among  the  crowns,  let  me  inquire 
if  you  have  a crown  for  Joseph  Cook.” 

“ Certainly  ! I can  show  it  to  you,”  the  guide  answered  ; 
and  as  he  spoke  he  took  down  an  immense  affair : it  was 
neaily  as  large  as  a bushel  basket. 

“What  a size!”  exclaimed  Garrison.  “Why  did 
you  make  it  so  large?” 

“Nothing  smaller  would  satisfy  Flavius  Josephus 
Cook,”  the  guide  said. 

The  crown,  however,  was  destitute  of  all  jewels  ; and  in 
my  dream  I wondered  at  this,  and  was  glad  -to  hear  the 
guide  say  to  Garrison,  “I  see  you  wonder  because  there 
are  no  stars  in  this  crown  ; for  they  would  add  much  to  its 


1 1 Cor.  i.  21. 


32 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


beauty.  I told  you  a while  ago,  that,  for  every  soul  saved, 
a jewel  was  placed  in  the  crown  of  the  saver : it  is  equally 
true,  that,  for  every  soul  lost  in  consequence  of  any  action 
on  the  part  of  a crown- wearer,  a jewel  is  taken  from  his 
crown.  Our  Certainties  tell  us  that  Cook,  before  his  death, 
by  dabbling  in  Spiritualism  and  science,  will  cause  the 
damnation  of  quite  as  many  as  he  will  save  ; and,  therefore, 
in  spite  of  his  tremendous  physical  efforts,  which  would 
weary  any  gymnast,  and  his  mental  acrobatic  perform- 
ances, which  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  never  began  to 
equal,  he  must  forever  wear  a starless  crown.* ’ 

“Now  I think  of  it,”  said  Garrison,  “ I should  like  to 
see  Talmadge’s  crown ; for  I suppose  he  will  have  one.” 
To  my  great  surprise,  the  guide  stammered,  and  absolutely 
blushed,  as  he  said,  — 

“Well,  the  fact  of  the  case  is,  Talmadge  is  a clerical 
comet ; and  our  Certainties  have  not  yet  calculated  the 
whole  of  his  orbit.  Isaiah  worked  at  him  for  some  time, 
assisted  by  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  who  is  connected  with  that 
department ; but  they  find  him  a particularly  hard  case.  It 
seemed  at  one  time  as  if  he  would  have  a crown  as  full  of 
stars  as  the  milky  way ; but  it  is  a question  now  whether 
he  will  ever  wear  a crown  here  at  all.  My  private  opinion 
is,  that,  if  he  even  gets  an  entrance  here,  it  will  be  by  the 
skin  of  his  teeth.’* 

By  this  time  both  Garrison  and  the  guide  began  to  feel 
the  need  of  food ; for,  with  the  exception  of  a little  fruit 
and  water,  they  had  not  eaten  any  thing  for  several  hours. 
The  guide  now  conducted  him  down  a kind  of  Broadway, 
called  Paradise  Street,  till  they  came  to  a magnificent 
eating-establishment,  where  there  were  tables  set  for  at 
least  ten  thousand. 

“ This,”  said  the  guide,  “ is  one  of  the  singers*  restau- 
rants, where  we  can  find  something  good,  I dare  say.” 


A DREAM. 


83 


When  they  entered  this  saloon,  I saw  the  guide  glance 
proudly  around  the  gorgeously  appointed  apartment,  and 
then  at  Garrison,  as  if  expecting  to  see  him  enchanted 
by  its  glittering  glories.  But  the  dazzling  splendors  of 
the  place  did  not  seem  to  surprise  him  in  the  least ; and  I 
conjectured  that  his  mind  was  too  much  occupied  by  the 
terrible  scenes  he  had  so  lately  witnessed,  even  to  notice 
them.  I soon  found  this  to  be  the  case  ; for  as  they 
passed  into  one  of  the  long,  broad  aisles,  he  said  to  the 
guide,  though  his  eyes  were  scarcely  lifted  from  the  pave- 
ment at  his  feet,  — 

“ What  is  the  name  of  that  mountain  in  the  distance, 
that  seems  to  rise  directly  out  of  yonder  place  of  agony  ? ’ • 

“That  is  no  mountain,”  the  guide  answered.  “It  is 
the  chimney  of  hell,  or,  as  John  the  Revelator  of  your 
earth  called  it,  4 the  bottomless  pit.’  ” 

“ The  chimney  of  hell ! ” responded  Garrison,  as  if  the 
thought  were  entirely  new  to  him.  44  But  why  did  you 
build  it  so  high?  ” he  inquired. 

“Oh!  it  is  none  too  high,  I assure  you,”  was  the  an- 
swer. 4 4 The  upper  windows  of  our  mansions  are  at  a great 
height,  as  you  must  see  ; and  the  heavy  smoke  and  gases 
from  4 the  lake  of  everlasting  burning ; sometimes  settle 
very  near  to  them  even  now.  But  heaven  itself  would  be 
intolerable,  were  those  offensive  vapors  to  enter  and  defile 
it ; and  It  would  be  impossible  to  prevent  this,  were  they 
not  carried  to  a great  distance.” 

44 1 suppose  you  are  right,”  Garrison  said  thoughtfully. 
44  But  what  an  enormous  structure!  Do  you  know  its 
exact  dimensions  ? ” 

“Its  height  above  the  surface  of  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone,”  the  guide  answered,  44  is  five  thousand  miles  ; 
and  our  celestial  architects  assure  us  that  it  extends  just 


•34 


GARRTSON  IN  HEAVEN. 


twice  a3  far,  or  ten  thousand  miles  below  the  surface  of 
that  lake.  It  is  divided  into  sections  of  one  hundred 
miles  each  ; and  the  space  enclosed  by  every  section  is  a 
perfect  cube,  or  is  one  hundred  miles  long,  one  hundred 
miles  broad,  and  one  hundred  miles  deep.” 

4 4 Why  should  it  extend  below  the  surface  ? ” G arrison 
asked. 

44  Because  being  bottomless,  that  is,  having  no  founda- 
tion in  fact,  it  could  not  otherwise  support  the  enormous 
height,”  was  the  reply. 

Garrison  did  not  appear  to  notice  the  peculiar  emphasis 
in  which  this  answer  was  given,  nor  the  particular  point 
which  the  answer  contained  ; and  as  they  took  their  seats 
at  one  of  the  thousand  tables  that  reflected  overhanging 
vines  and  flowers,  until  the  very  tables  themselves  ap- 
peared to  be  beds  of  immortal  bloom,  he  said,  — 

44  John  the  Revelator  called  the  bottomless  pit  a prison. 
I suppose  he  must  have  been  mistaken.” 

44  Oh,  no!”  was  the  reply.  44  It  is  called  by  various 
names,  because  its  several  sections  are  used  for  various 
purposes.  The  prison,  for  instance,  was  the  section  in 
which  Satan  was  confined,  as  you  will  remember,  bound 
hand  and  foot,  for  a thousand  years.  A prison  indeed,  to 
him,  poor  fellow ! But  you  may  also  remember,  that, 
even  in  the  Revelator’s  time,  Apollyon  had  rendered 
the  upper  section  famous  by  his  wonderful  success  in  the 
propagation  of  locusts.  You  would  be  surprised  to 
see  the  great  number  of  varieties  he  has  succeeded 
in  establishing.  It  was  because  of  his  great  success 
in  this  department  that  they  made  him  king  over  these 
insects.  Some  of  the  earlier  forms  produced  under  his 
management  are  very  well  described  by  the  Divine  Nov- 
elist.1 But  that  was  only  the  beginning.  He  has  de« 


1 Rev.  ix.  1-11. 


A DREAM. 


36 


veloped  some  surprising  results  since  then.  Especially 
since  he  has  taken  advantage  of  Darwin’s  discoveries  in 
natural  selection,  these  results  have  been  most  astonish- 
ing. I believe  he  has  never  exhibited  any  of  these  in- 
sects on  your  earth  since  the  time  of  which  the  Revelator 
wrote.  He  did  not  find  it  very  profitable  at  that  time. 
Very*  few  of  the  people  seemed  to  appreciate  his  labors. 
Many  of  them  appeared  to  have  a superstitious  fear  of 
the  poor  creatures,  and  would  not  attend  his  exhibitions. 
Beside  that,  several  of  the  finer  specimens  escaped  alto- 
gether ; and  he  was  never  able  to  recapture  them,  or  to 
procure  their  return.  It  is  said,  however,  by  some  of 
the  saints  who  have  come  here  more  recently  from  that 
planet,  that  the  people  there  are  at  present  much  better 
prepared  to  appreciate  such  labors  than  they  were  in  the 
days  of  John.  Should  Apollyon  find  this  report  to  be 
correct,  he  may  conclude  to  give  other  exhibitions  there, 
as  the  Revelator  advertised  : otherwise  he  probably  will 
not  attempt  it  again.” 

While  they  still  sat  waiting  for  the  meal  the  guide  had 
ordered,  Garrison  picked  up  a paper  that  lay  on  the  crys- 
tal table,  and  I took  the  opportunity  to  examine  it  as  he 
turned  over  its  pages.  I saw  that  it  was  “ The  Celestial 
Gazette,”  having  a circulation  of  a trillion  copies.  Moses 
was  the  editor,  assisted  by  Job,  who  doubtless  found  in 
that  kind  of  work  an  excellent  opportunity  for  the  exer- 
cise of  all  his  patience.  Among  the  contributors  I found 
there  were  many  persons  whose  names  are  well  known  in 
the  orthodox  world.  As  usual,  John  the  Revelator  fur- 
nished the  continuous  romance,  and  Jonah  had  charge  of 
the  natural  history  department.  There  were  songs  by 
Solomon,  hymns  by  Dr.  Watts,  poems  by  Cowper ; and 
Pollok  was  running  through  its  pages  a poem  entitled 


3t 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


“The  Course  of  Eternity.”  The  items  referring  to  our 
planet  interested  me  most.  This  was  one  : — 

“ Ingersoll. 

Ingersoll  continues  his  heaven-defying  lectures,  and 
what  is  most  interesting  to  him,  and  most  disastrous  to 
us.  he  makes  them  pay ; but  we  are  preparing  a mansion 
for  him,  compared  with  which  hell  itself  will  be  heaven. 
Every  soul  lost  through  his  instrumentality  will  be  a fiery 
brand  to  scorch  him  ; and  when  he  lectures  there,  his 
jokes  will  be  lost  in  the  howls  of  the  damned  that  will 
forever  writhe  in  agony  around  him.” 

Boston  was  noticed  in  an  article  headed, 

“Worse  than  Sodom. 

Boston  continues  as  fearless  of  hell,  and  defiant  of 
heaven,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Parker : nay,  it  is  more 
so.  The  sabbath  is  constantly  desecrated  by  museums,  li- 
braries, and  concerts.  An  infidel  temple  has  been  erected  ; 
and  where  once  there  was  one  Parker,  there  are  now  a 
hundred,  either  preaching  damnable  heresies,  or  preparing 
to  preach  them.  Our  servants  are  laboring,  some  of  them 
frantically  laboring,  but  with  as  little  effect  upon  infidels 
as  St.  Anthony’s  preaching  had  upon  the  fishes ; and 
nothing  short  of  an  earthquake  that  shall  swallow  it  up 
will  stay  its  hellward  career.  How  long,  O Lord,  how 
long?” 

Another  singular  item  was  about 
“ Beecher. 

Beecher,  that  hoary  old  infidel  and  hypocrite,  still  con- 
tinues to  drive  Plymouth  Church  to  destruction,  an  fast 
as  the  wheels  of  the  coach,  and  the  condition  of  the  roads, 


A DREAM. 


37 


will  permit.  The  worst  is,  that  thousands  of  other  drivers, 
neeing  him  ahead,  think  the  road  must  lead  to  heaven ; 
and,  with  cracking  whips  and  loud  cries,  they  are  driving 
after  him,  laden  with  precious  souls  who  are  being  hurried 
to  their  doom.” 

A little  farther  on  I read,  — 

“The  End  of  the  World 

draws  near,  and  the  saints  will  soon  behold  a glorious 
spectacle.  A few  months  will  see  the  sun  grow  dark, 
the  moon  turn  to  blood,  and  the  stars,  like  worm-eaten 
apples,  drop  to  the  earth.  The  gospel  has  been  preached 
for  a witness  in  all  nations.  The  number  of  the  elect  is 
nearly  made  up ; the  cup  of  iniquity  is  full  to  the  brim  ; 
I he  trumpet  is  now  ready,  and  Gabriel  is  practising  for 
that  blast,  which  the  dead,  and  even  the  dead  dissolved 
to  dust,  shall  hear. 

‘ 1 Among  ‘ the  signs  of  the  times  * which  indicate  the 
near  approach  of  that  great  day,  one  of  the  most  important 
to  us  is  the  suicidal  efforts  of  the  saints  on  earth  to, 

“ Correct  the  Word  of  God. 

Without  question,  this  is  the  most  disastrous  move- 
ment that  our  forces  on  that  planet  have  ever  made.  The 
picture  is  indeed  appalling.  The  fact  that  infidelity,  with 
unblushing  front,  charges  fraud  and  falsehood  in  the  pro- 
duction of  that  sacred  volume,  renders  this  an  effort  un- 
paralleled in  any  other  age.  With  their  lips  the  saints 
deny  the  truth  of  these  charges ; but  they  convict  them- 
selves of  falsehood  by  this  endeavor  to  rectify  its  mis- 
takes and  to  improve  its  teachings.  If  the  occupant  of 
yonder  throne  shall  permit  this  cowardly  confession  of 
weakness  and  crime  on  the  part  of  his  saints  on  earth, 


38 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


he  must  expect  to  see  his  army  in  heaven  disheartened. 
That  Beelzebub  will  be  greatly  encouraged  thereby,  if 
not  actually  re-enforced  by  thousands  of  troops  from  our 
own  ranks,  there  cannot  be  a reasonable  doubt.  Is  Jeho- 
vah indifferent  to  results  like  these,  that  he  permits  this 
work  of  madness?  The  saints  complain  that  they  an 
being  driven  to  this  extremity  by  the  mercilessness  of 
what  is  termed  on  earth  4 modern  criticism.*  Why  does  not 
God  confound  the  language  of  the  modern  critics,  as  he 
confounded  the  speech  of  the  builders  at  the  Tower  of 
Babel?  One  by  one,  through  many  ages,  we  have  seen 
his  promises  fail : nevertheless  we  trusted,  that,  for  his  own 
name’s  sake,  he  would  prevent  any  further  profanation 
of  4 the  Record  of  His  Will.’  Why  does  he  not  veil  the 
sun  and  moon  in  sackcloth  as  an  evidence  of  his  displeas- 
ure? Again  and  again,  in  previous  issues  of  this  journal, 
we  have  pointed  out  to  him  the  necessity  for  immediate 
action,  if  he  would  preserve  untarnished  the  ancient  glory 
of  his  name.  Is  it  through  the  infirmities  of  age,  or  the 
fear  of  defeat,  or  the  love  of  ease,  that  he  thus  hesitates? 

4 4 The  Work  of  Revision 

is  now  nearing  completion,  and  as  yet  no  note  of  warning 
has  been  sounded  from  these  shores.  How  unlike  his 
methods  of  the  earlier  times  ! Well  do  we  remember  the 
frightful  plagues  under  which  Egypt  groaned  by  reason 
of  his  displeasure  with  her  king.  How  triumphantly,  in 
those  days,  did  he  work  his  will  on  the  earth  with  famine 
and  pestilence,  fire  and  sword ! And  how  frequently  he 
went  down  there  to  look  after  the  interests  of  his  king- 
dom, appearing  to  his  saints  in  their  dreams  and  visions, 
and  showing  them  signs  and  wonders ! But  the  change 
since  then  is  evident  to  us  all.  What  has  produced  it? 


A DREAM. 


80 


Through  many  generations,  with  painful  solicitude,  we 
have  marked  the  fading  glory  of  his  greatness,  the  steady 
loosening  of  the  reins  of  his  authority,  the  gradual  failure 
of  bis  faculties,  the  certain  indications  of  slow  but  sure 
decay.  We  repeat,  the  change  is  evident.  And  again  we 
ask-, 

“ Wiiat  has  produced  it? 

“ In  the  very  dust  of  humiliation,  and  with  inexpressible 
sorrow  of  soul,  we  charge  this  change  to  the  demoralizing 
influence  of  that  one  hour  of  guilty  dalliance  with  the 
mother  of  his  earth-born  son. 

“It  is  said,  ‘Even  a God  may  not  reverse  a God’s 
decree.’  Could,  then,  Jehovah  commit  that  nameless 
crime  with  one  of  his  own  daughters,  and  remain  guiltless  ? 
One  fact  will  suffice  for  answer.  From  that  sin-stained 
hour  to  the  present,  he  has  never  set  himself  to  the 
accomplishment  of  any  great  purpose,  either  on  earth  or  in 
heaven.  Verily,  to  him,  as  to  all  others,  ‘ the  wages  of 
sin  is  — DEATH.’ 

“We  make  these  charges  with  a penetrating  sense  of 
the  responsibility  we  thereby  assume,  and  keenly  conscious 
of  the  sufferings  to  which,  in  all  probability,  we  subject 
ourselves  by  so  doing.  But  too  long  already  we  have 
sacrificed  our  self-respect  to  the  customtfry  obsequiousness 
of  these  realms  ; and  we  are  now  resolved,  whatever  the 
personal  risk,  henceforth  and  forever  to  be  governed 
solely  by  our  own  convictions  of  truth  and  justice.  In 
accordance  with  this  resolve,  we  ask, 

“By  what  right, 

human  or  divine,  did  he  violate  his  own  laws,  and  dis- 
honor that  young  Jewish  maiden?  Did  He  forget  the 
commandments  he  himself  gave  us,  amid  thunderings  and 


40 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


lightnings  and  voices,  on  the  mountain  of  Sinai?  What 
can  he  answer?  ” — 

While  I was  reading  the  above  fearless  criticism,  I 
heard  Garrison  exclaim, — 

“Heaven  is  everywhere  a surprise  to  me.  Who  is 
Moses,  the  editor  of  this  4 Gazette  ’ ? ” 

“ Why,  the  man  who  led  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
ihe  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  sure  ! ” the  guide  answered. 

44 1 should  like  to  see  him.  This  is  the  first  manifesta- 
tion of  a noble  and  manly  independence  that  I have  seen 
r.ince  I came  here,”  Garrison  said  with  evident  emotion. 

44  Hush,  hush!”  the  guide  whispered,  scarcely  above 
his  breath  ; and,  drawing  his  chair  very  near  to  Garrison’s, 
he  continued,  “You  have  been  reading  those  allegations 
against  Jehovah,  I suppose.” 

44 1 have,”  said  Garrison;  44  and  I am  anxious  to  see 
how  he  will  meet  them.” 

44  We  must  be  careful  how  we  speak  of  Moses  now 
and  here,”  the  guide  said  in  the  same  voiceless  whisper. 
44  You  cannot  see  him  now,  nor  would  }7ou  wish  to  do  so  if 
you  could  ; ” and  I noticed  that  his  face  wore  a sorrowful 
expression,  while  his  whole  manner  had  suddenly  become 
full  of  seriousness. 

44  You  speak  in  riddles,”  said  Garrison.  “What  is 
it?” 

44  Peter’s  command  at  the  gate  was  to  give  you  any 
information  }tou  may  desire,”  was  the  answer;  44  but,  in- 
deed, you  must  not  repeat  this  story  without  his  especial 
permission.” 

44 1 have  seen  no  one  here  to  whom  I shall  be  likely  to 
si  eak  in  confidence,”  Garrison  answered. 

44  You  will  understand,  then,”  resumed  the  guide,  44  that 
this  Moses  commenced  the  publication  of  4 The  Celestial 


A DREAM. 


41 


Gazette’  about  four  thousand  years  ago.  It  may  bt  a 
little  longer  ago  than  that  (there  is  some  dispute  about 
the  date,  I believe);  but  that  does  not  matter.  Of  course, 
at  the  beginning  it  was  very  far  from  being  what  it  is 
now.  But  it  has  at  all  times  been  noted  for  its  fearless 
advocacy  of  exact  justice,  even  to  giving  up  an  eye  for 
an  eye,  or  a tooth  for  a tooth,  in  order  to  satisfy  every 
just  demand.  This  advocacy  has  drawn  to  his  side  a 
very  strong  and  substantial  party,  and  one  on  which  he 
can  count  with  a great  deal  of  certainty. 

“ But  Moses  came  here  believing  in  owe,  and  only  one , 
‘ True  God ; ’ and  it  is  no  secret  among  the  older  inhabit- 
ants of  heaven,  that  he  bitterly  opposed  the  proposition 
of  Jehovah  to  share  the  honors  of  His  throne  and  court 
with  another,  and  especially  with  an  earth-born  son : in 
short,  it  is  said  that  he  denounced  the  whole  transaction 
as  essentially  heathenish.  After  its  accomplishment, 
however,  the  circumstance  never  drew  from  him  the 
slightest  recognition,  either  in  ‘ The  Gazette  ’ or  elsewhere, 
until  the  appearance  of  those  charges  in  the  issue  of  this 
morning. 

“ It  has  often  been  remarked  here,  that  Moses’  manner 
toward  both  the  maiden  mother  and  her  son  was  marked 
by  a tenderness  as  touching  as  that  of  a parent  for  a 
beloved  child.  For  this  reason,  it  was  thought  by  many 
that  he  regarded  the  rejection  of  the  son  by  the  Jewish 
nation  as  a great  crime.  But  who  could  have  imagined, 
as  is  now  evident,  that  it  was  because  he  held  Jehovah 
guilty  of  crime  in  the  matter  of  his  intercourse  with  the 
mother  ? 

“As  might  have  been  expected,  those  allegations,  pre- 
ferred in  that  serious  and  unequivocal  manner,  have  creat- 
ed a profound  sensation  here.  Yet  it  is  probable,  that 


42 


GARRISON  IN  HEAVEN. 


by  far  the  greater  number  of  his  subscribers,  and  perhaps 
many  other  spirits,  share,  in  large  measure,  the  same 
sentiments.  Indeed,  it  is  generally  understood  that  tht 
disaffected  element  has  been  greatly  on  the  increase  during 
several  centuries  past ; and,  had  not  Moses  been  hurried 
off  before  his  friends  became  aware  of  the  intention  to 
take  him,  I dare  say  there  would  have  been  another  great 
war  here.  It  is  feared  there  may  be  trouble  now,  when 
his  sentence  shall  become  generally  known.” 

“ What  was  his  sentence?  ” Garrison  asked. 

“ 7,777,777  years  on  the  wall  of  hell.  Seven  sacre< 
sevens,  you  will  observe,”  was  the  reply;  and  I notice< 
that  a very  peculiar  expression  spread  over  the  face  of  th» 
guide  as  he  said  it. 

“That  is  a terrible  sentence,  if  I may  judge  of  tin 
place  by  the  sights  I have  seen  to-day,”  said  Garrison 
“ What  can  he  do  there?  ” 

“ The  place  is  all  that  the  sights  you  have  seen  to-dai 
indicate,  I assure  you,”  the  guide  said.  “And  his  busi 
ness,  like  that  of  all  who  receive  a like  sentence,  is  t( 
stand  on  that  wall  day  and  night,  and,  with  machinerj 
provided  for  the  purpose,  to  raise,  and  swing  over  the  wall 
into  that  infernal  pit,  the  enormous  blocks  of  brimstone 
as  they  arrive  there  from  Brimstone  Quarry.  If  it  were 
not  for  this  constant  supply  of  fresh  fuel,  the  fires  of  hell 
would  eventually  burn  out,  and  the  place  would  cool  off. 
In  that  case,  hell  would  become 

‘ A land  of  pure  delight,’ 

as  heaven  now  is ; and  the  bad  spirits  would  be  redeemed 
from  that  life  of  agony.” 

Here,  again,  I saw  Garrison  look  up  at  the  guide  with 
the  same  expression  of  half  surprise  and  half  inquiry  that 


A DREAM. 


43 


I had  once  before  noticed.  He  evidently  sought  in  the 
expression  of  the  guide’s  countenance  a solution  of  the 
problem  regarding  his  true  character,  which  his  remarks 
had  more  than  once  suggested.  But  again  he  could  dis- 
cover only  that  peculiar  look  of  innocence  which  betrays 
nothing  of  the  life  within,  and  he  said  reflectively,  — 

“ It  would  require  a very  large  force  of  human  beings  to 
supply  such  a gulf  as  that  with  burning  brimstone.  Are 
there  many  spirits  employed  there?  ” 

“The  number  employed  is  7,777,777 ; and  they  must 
work  night  and  day  during  the  term  for  which  they  are 
sentenced,”  the  guide  said. 

“Seven  shameful  sevens  again!”  said  Garrison  with 
compressed  lips,  no  longer  able  to  disguise  his  indigna- 
tion, either  by  look  or  word. 

Without  heeding  the  interruption,  the  guide  continued, — 
“The  number  is  never  lessened,  and  never  increased. 
Whenever  a new  offender  is  sent  there,  some  one  whose 
term  has  already  expired  is  released  ; but  no  one  is  ever 
permitted  to  leave  until  another  is  sent  to  take  his  place. 

4 4 This  is  the  most  fearful  form  of  punishment  that 
heaven  can  inflict  this  side  of  hell  itself.  On  that  wall 
the  smoke  and  heat  are  scarcely  less  terrible  than  is  the 
fiery  flood  below  : indeed,  the  blocks  of  brimstone  often 
melt,  and  run  in  streams,  besmearing  all  in  contact  with 
them  with  liquid  heat,  long  before  the  wall  is  reacned. 
The  difference  in  favor  of  this  punishment,  as  compared 
with  hell  itself,  is,  that  even  all  these  years  must  some 
time  pass  away  ; and,  should  there  be  no  renewal  of  the 
sentence,  he  can  then  bathe  again  in  the  fountain  of  blood, 
and  joyfully  retrace  his  steps  back  to  the  throne  of  God.” 

“ Only  to  be  sent  there  again,  I suppose,  if  he  should 
again  dare  to  speak  or  print  what  he  believes,”  Garrison 
said  with  indignant  emphasis. 


44 


GARRfSON  IN  HEAVEN. 


“ It  will  never  do  to  speak  what  we  believe  here,  unless 
we  can  believe  as  the  ruling  class  directs,”  the  guide 
remarked. 

“ The  ruling  class?  Does  not  the  Almighty  rule  here?  ” 
asked  Garrison. 

“Formerly  I dare  say  he  did.  He  does  little  now, 
however,  as  you  must  have  observed,  but  listen  to  the 
prayers  and  praises  of  the  saints ; while  for  nearly  two 
thousand  years  the  priests  from  your  earth  have  had 
things  pretty  much  their  own  way,”  was  the  reply. 

“That  accounts  for  it!  That  accounts  for  it!”  ex- 
claimed Garrison,  a new  light,  as  if  the  problem  were  at 
last  solved  for  him,  breaking  over  his  countenance.  “ I 
can  understand  it  all  now.  Ah  ! a priest  is  a priest,  find 
him  when  and  where  you  will.” 

“ Yes,”  was  the  reply,  “ whether  on  earth  or  in  heaven, 
his  aspirations  and  his  schemes  have  the  same  general 
character,  and  are  directed  to  the  same  selfish  ends.” 

By  this  time  they  had  finished  their  meal ; and  the 
guide  said,  resuming  at  the  same  time  his  less  serious 
manner,  “ Now  I will  show  you  the  room  that  has  been 
provided  for  you : it  is  in  the  four  hundred  and  forty 
thousandth  story.”  Seeing  Garrison  stand  aghast,  he 
added,  “There  is  a magnificent  view,  and  we  can  take 
you  up  in  our  lightning  elevator,  quick  as  a flash.”  Up 
they  went,  and  the  guide  showed  him  the  prospect.  It 
was  indeed  delightful.  In  the  distance  lay  the  Delectable 
Mountains,  with  verdant  forests  clothing  their  sides  : lakes 
innumerable  reflected  the  dazzling  divine  light  which  for- 
ever rayed  from  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  the  sun  of 
heaven. 

“Here,”  said  the  guide,  “you  can  enjoy  yourself,  and 
take  solid  comfort.  When  you  feel  like  it,  you  can  conu 


A DREAM. 


45 


down  and  hear  the  music,  or  join  the  band,  and  jtou  will 
find  good  meals  on  Paradise  Street,  where  we  were : don’t 
forget  the  number,  90,000,871.”  But  I saw  that  this  was 
not  at  all  in  accordance  with  Garrison’s  plans. 

“Cannot  1 have  a room  on  the  ground-floor?”  he 
inquired. 

“I  suppose  you  can,”  was  the  guide’s  reply;  “but 
this  is  vastly  preferable  to  any  room  there.” 

“It  may  be,”  said  Garrison;  “but  I should  greatly 
prefer  to  be  below.” 

Eventually  he  secured  a room  in  the  south-east  corner 
of  heaven,  as  near  to  hell  as  he  could  possibly  get. 

“I  cannot  imagine  why  you  should  fancy  this,”  was 
the  remark  of  the  guide  as  soon  as  they  got  in.  “It  is 
really  the  least  comfortable  room  in  the  whole  place,  and 
when  your  windows  are  open,  and  the  wind  blows  this  way, 
you  will  wish  yourself  somewhere  else.  But  every  saint 
to  his  liking  ! ” And  away  went  the  guide.  As  soon  as  he 
was  fairly  out  of  hearing,  I said,  — 

“Garrison  ! ” laying  at  the  same  time  my  hand  upon 
his  shoulder.  He  instantly  turned,  and  exclaimed,  — 

“ What ! Denton,  you  here?  ” And,  seizing  my  hand, 
he  said,  “ I am  glad  to  see  you : I want  your  help.” 

“ Help  for  what?  ” I asked. 

“I  will  show  you,”  he  said.  “I  find  we  are  needed 
here  vastly  more  than  on  earth.  I am  going  to  start 
an  underground  railroad,  and  run  in  every  soul  from  that 
infernal  pit,  and  you  must  help  me.  We  must  empty 
Hell,  and  reform  Heaven  — and  we  will  do  it.” 


J 


